Category: Technology News

Telepresence Robot – The world people live in today is filled with fast-paced changes and transformations that demand a lot not only from one’s work but also from his time and effort to be on the same page as everyone is.  There are demands from work that sometimes people do not have the time to attend themselves, which is why they hire assistants or make use of calls and video conferences.  With telepresence making its way through the ranks, the telepresence robot has also made its way into the market.  In this article, one will be able to read (1) a brief overview of telepresence (which is the concept behind the popular telepresence robot); (2) the definition; (3) how it works; (4) the benefits of using a telepresence robot; and (5) the top manufacturing companies that produce telepresence robots.

A Brief Overview of Telepresence

Telepresence is a term used to refer to a technology that allows for realistic HD interaction between people in remote locations.  Not to be confused with video conferencing, telepresence makes use of HD video images along with high-fidelity sounds.  To have a dedicated telepresence system, one should make sure that the images being projected are in full HD, broadcast quality and that the sounds of voices coming in are crisp and clean, resulting in a conversation between two distant parties to appear realistic and on-the-spot despite the fact of the other party is in another location.  Usually, the effectiveness of a telepresence system depends on the right kind of equipment.  The telepresence robot is also outfitted with the same technology, only it was made to have mobility features.

The Telepresence Robot: Definition

A telepresence robot, or a telebot for short, is a machine on which is fitted screens, cameras, microphones, and speakers and allows remote people to still have interaction with their colleagues on-site.  By using their computer, a person can easily steer a telepresence robot around a workplace either to attend important meetings or to make regular inspections around the worksite.

The idea behind the creation of the telepresence robot is to make it socially acceptable and less clumsy around the workplace.  Most manufacturing companies are coming up with newer models that have the ability to display gestures and facial expressions better through larger screens.  This makes the telepresence robot more ideal and better for two-way communication.

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How It Works?

Since a telepresence robot­ works the same way as a full-fledged telepresence system does, it also allows it, users, to connect to it via an internet connection.  An effective telepresence robot enables its users to manage conference calls and company walkthroughs efficiently and conveniently through a personal computer no matter where they are located.  However, its function lies not only in its capability to include its users in conference calls and allow them to remotely view images of their workplace; it also allows users to have their very own virtual presence in the workplace.  The operator can also direct the movements of the camera to allow the viewing of multiple people in a room.  Some telepresence robots are also equipped with added functionality through the installment of laser pointers that are also controlled by the operator.

The Telepresence Robot: The Benefits

Although more expensive than a regular dedicated telepresence system, there are reasons why the use of a reliable telepresence robot is more preferable than the more common videoconferencing.  These machines can cost up to $40,000 yet high-end corporations both in the medical and educational field have employed the use of these machines.

Today, the more practical solution for businesses that aim to reduce travel costs is videoconferencing.  A telepresence robot is also made for the same objective, but it offers three big benefits that generate interest among potential users.

• Mobility in the workplace – Since it is a robot, users would have the experience to leave the conference room during meeting breaks.  It also provides an effective way to remotely wander around the workplace and interact with co-workers.
• Virtual Presence – People displayed in telepresence screens may look HD and life-size yet lack the 3D feature that can be experienced using a telepresence robot.  One will be able to interact with people as though they are there in person.  As this type of technology pervades, these robots are starting to be more realistic in appearance and are being constructed to be anatomically correct.
• Better work quality and compliance – There are some factories that need constant supervision and inspection.  Most of the environments around factories require people to use hard hats and are usually time-consuming, dangerous, and would even require travel costs to visit.  A telepresence robot allows remote managers or employers to inspect things visually without the need to compromise work time for travel time.

The Telepresence Robot: Companies

Here are companies that are known for producing quality telepresence robots.

• Anybots – this company is known to be at the forefront of Virtual Presence.  It is a communications company that is also the leading provider of Virtual Presence Systems to different types of clients.
• VGo Communications – this company develops telepresence robots for education, healthcare institutions, and for the workplace.  It was founded by veterans who are successful in the field of robotics and visual communications industries.
• Suitable Technologies – a fairly new company that aims to fulfill its mission to connect separated people through the technology of telepresence.
• iRobot – another pioneer in the industry of robotics, iRobot aims to build and design robots that would make a difference.

Telepresence robots provide a unique and innovative way of providing a virtual presence to those who need to be away from the workplace for a while.  Although it is much expensive than the usually dedicated telepresence systems, its added cool factor and the three benefits stated earlier make the telepresence robot a good choice for those who have the means to invest in it.  In a world where virtual presence is the only way to cut travel costs without compromising quality work time, telepresence robots can help get work done.

What is telepresence?  What makes it different from video conferencing?  Is telepresence technology an essential part of the growth of different industries?  How significant is it to have a telepresence system?

The world is moving faster and getting bigger.  Every day, more and more complexities exist and the only way to deal with these is to come up with surprising new ideas to help everyone get on the same page.  In different kinds of businesses and industries, the most strategic way to collaborate is to maintain a face-to-face relationship with customers, colleagues, and partners.  This is the primary aim of tele presence technology.  This article discusses tele presence technology; provides an overview of the tele presence technology, and brings forth the essential elements which make up an effective telepresence system.

Telepresence Technology: The Definition

Telepresence technology is oftentimes confused with video conferencing, although the two are almost similar.  In discussing what is telepresence’s difference from videoconferencing, it should be put in mind that video conferencing fails to consider all the factors needed in human communication.  Typical video conference system equipment such as high-resolution cameras and microphones actually ignore the fundamentals of visual communication.

When faced with the question “what is telepresence,” it is important to define it as precisely as possible to avoid confusing it with normal video conferencing. The true definition of telepresence technology is that it is a multidisciplinary science and art which not only allows for the opportunity to communicate and see a person face-to-face but also integrates and takes into consideration elements such as psychology, engineering, and even the art of television broadcast.  A telepresence system is more than just mere video conferencing.

To better understand the question about tele presence, one should put in mind the following:

What is Telepresence Essentials #1:

A high-definition web camera should not only be placed somewhere atop a monitor but should be optically aligned with the eyes of the person being displayed on-screen.  Placing the camera on top of the screen or on the sides or bottom does not fulfill a true tele presence system setup.

What is Telepresence Essentials #2:

A person’s upper body arm gestures should be clearly seen through an HD life-size image.  If conferencing is done on a desktop computer, at least 70% of the life-size image should be displayed.

What is Telepresence Essentials #3:

There should be a correct distance in which the image being displayed is equivalent to a person sitting on the other side of the conference room.  If only the face is being displayed on a monitor or plasma TV, then it deviates from true telepresence technology.

What is Telepresence Essentials #4:

In a telepresence system, the quality of the image should be in broadcast quality.  In other words, it should be better in resolution compared to usual image qualities being projected in other forms of videoconferencing.  It is usually inadequate to settle with CIF resolution only when aiming to use telepresence technology.

What is Telepresence Essentials #5:

The quality of the audio is excellent — the sound of voices arrive clean and crisp and are free from all kinds of distortion.

An Overview of the Telepresence Technology

Once you go over the answers to the question about Tele presence?” the next thing you should be able to understand is the telepresence technology that keeps a telepresence system apart from other videoconferencing programs.

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Telepresence technology allows users to get the feeling of being together with the person they are talking to even though that person is only being projected from a screen.  A good telepresence system makes use of HD life-size displays through high-definition cameras and high-fidelity acoustics.  This makes it possible for sounds to be effectively localized to the image.  This gets backed up by a high-bandwidth system that produces seamless and real-life presentations within the space dedicated to telepresence technology.  Rooms made especially for telepresence systems are often filled with displays and furniture to further enhance the simulation.  Attendees would usually sit at a conference table where they will be able to see high-definition videos of other participants who are also sitting on a similar conference table in remote locations.  The videos allow participants to get the feeling that they are sitting in the same table like the ones on the screen in front of them.  This is the main point why most companies want to adopt telepresence technology; being able to communicate face-to-face is a priority when running a business.

Not all companies though will be able to afford life-size versions of tele presence technology.  There are also options for lower-bandwidth which allow participants to make use of desktop clients.  However, the drawback of using a lower-bandwidth option is that the experience would be less compelling because of the lower fidelity.

The Elements of a Telepresence System

The telepresence system is popular not only for different business firms who have branches in several locations but may also be useful to researchers and scientists who need to work in different places.  The tele presence technology intends to impart a feeling of shared presence, in which participants might even forget their location differences.

Employing the use of a telepresence system is usually costly but is still rising in popularity both in the academe and in business.  However, not all campuses can afford to set up a dedicated system, and they opt for lower-bandwidth options instead.

Using a telepresence system requires two different locations that both have dedicated server software and hardware, along with a reliable bandwidth to support HD output and the right equipment that is designed to deliver high-quality audio and video.  A dedicated tele presence technology setup will be able to make people appear life-size with their torso and hands clearly visible.  Voices should be transmitted via high-fidelity sound and participants should be able to easily discern facial expressions and body language.  The tele presence system then creates a more realistic communication experience in which participants will be able to respond to each other as if they were all in the same meeting room.

What is Telepresence: The Significance

In answering the question “what is telepresence”, it is essential to note its significance.  The importance of tele presence technology lies in its ability to provide an effective alternative solution for people who dislike having to travel all the way across the map to attend a face-to-face meeting.  Travel can be time-consuming, all the more exhausting for a person.   Although adopting a dedicated tele presence system can be very costly, many have been encouraged to have it because of its advantages of speaking to, seeing, and hearing colleagues as if they are currently in the same room.  Not only would there be a better way to communicate with colleagues, but an effective telepresence system also affects the academe in a way that opens new ways of instruction and research.  As telepresence technology starts evolving in a way that can benefit those who are looking for less expensive solutions, it also has the potential to provide new audiences and opportunities for different institutions.

A video conference system is a next step in the continuously growing telecommunications solutions and services available today. Video conferencing is comparable to conference phone calls only that it also involves the use of video technology plus today’s high-speed broadband Internet technology. Its practical uses include business and consumer level applications.

A Not-So Technical Definition of the System

A video conference system requires the use of a set of telecommunication technologies and not just one particular piece of electronic equipment. The main idea behind conferencing is to make video and audio transmissions simultaneous. This, of course, will make it possible for more people from two or even more locations of varying distances to communicate in real-time.

That is the pristine goal but delays in both audio and visual transmissions can still occur. Nevertheless, with continuously improving technology both in telecommunications and Internet connectivity, these technological hiccups are slowly being resolved. Users of newer and more reliable video conference system technologies should expect to see fewer problems and issues as newer technological developments are introduced.

Video conferencing vs. Video Phone Calls

Some people may have questions about the difference between a video-teleconference and a video phone call. It is easy to admit that both forms of telecommunication are part and parcel of video-telephony which may use the same video conference system as well. It can also be easily observed that both of these also make use of what is known as picture phone technology. These obvious similarities sometimes make it a bit difficult to differentiate between the two.

Well, fundamentally, these two services are pretty much the same. They make use of the same basic forms of videoconferencing technologies (i.e. both can use the very same video conference system including all the necessary equipment). The big difference, of course, is the fact that more than two people and more than two locations are getting interconnected. Transmissions are basically coming from and sent to various locations at the same time. However, it should be clear at this point that conferencing services are more technological taxing compared to just making a simple video phone call.

Tracing the Beginnings of Video Teleconferencing

The type of video conference system that we have today is not the same as the ones that were in use about 30 or even 50 years ago. The technology that is used today has gone far beyond the predecessors and precursors to today’s modern video teleconferencing systems. Nevertheless, the concept or original idea remains the same.

Nowadays, people who make use of such forms of videotelephony do not only share live video feeds and live audio from their own specific locations. Today’s allied video conference technology allows users to share documents during the said long-distance conference. Other than that, users are also given the capability to share whiteboards and other presentation materials.

Those are only some of the additional capabilities that we enjoy today that weren’t there when video conferencing first began. Back then, analog technology was the premiere means of telecommunication available for any video conference system. One of the best examples of such technology is a TV transmission.

The case of a television transmission is pretty much like videotelephony. You have a transmitter sending out both audio and video. The only difference is that a TV signal is not sent directly to a specific target audience. In analog audio and video telecommunications for videoconferencing, you can go from point to point communication to a multipoint communication (i.e. involves multiple recipients and multiple locations).

Another example of early attempts at creating a video conference system is the German Reich Postzentralamt video telephone network. The network structure used by this post office video phone network is not wireless in nature. Instead of taking things through the airwaves, the designers of this early videoconferencing system used closed-circuit TV systems.

These CCTV networks connected various points or locations using very long coaxial cables that interconnected various cities in Germany. This early conferencing system was fully operational and was in use from 1936 to 1940.

Lowering Cost as Available Technology Improved

As technology improved, so did teleconferencing services. NASA used video links via UHF and VHF during their very first few manned flights into the realms of outer space. As more sophisticated technology became more available, more options were opened for designers of long-distance videotelephony.

One of the biggest issues that video conferencing designers had to deal with other than the available technology was the cost. Most of the systems and technologies that were available in the early days were also quite expensive. The concept of such a service is there and technology to deliver the conceptualized service is already present but it carries a heavy price tag that no one will pay for – not even businesses.

If large corporations who could make really good use of such a service have been held back by costs then you should expect home users to step away from such an option as well. Such was the scenario that people faced back then. The good news is that with the influx of today’s modern computer technology, everything became more affordable and services got better.

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Today’s Components for a Standard Video Conference System

At the very heart of today’s video conferencing systems are the coder/decoder, which can be a software application and/or hardware that digitally compresses video and audio streams in real-time. Of course, this is not the only technological component of such systems.

Some of the other components that will be included in a video teleconference system will include video input and output, audio input and output, a medium for data transfer, and a computer system or something similar.

Types of Video Conferencing Systems

You can classify conferencing systems under either of two types: dedicated systems and desktop systems. Dedicated systems are systems that are specifically designed for the very express purpose of video teleconferencing. All the needed equipment, connectivity, and software will be included in that specialized system. A desktop system, on the other hand, is simply a computer that has been equipped with all the necessary add-ons and software and can be used for other purposes as well.

What to Look for in a Video Conferencing Company or Service

You should make sure that the equipment and software offered by a conferencing company, service, or equipment, meet today’s current standards (ITU H.320, ITU H.264, ITU V.80, etc.). You should also consider the cost and the bandwidth offered by such a service. You should also consider the complexity and usability of such systems. Most importantly, a video conference system should cover all your needs in business and home communication.